Monday, June 8, 2009

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It was one of those calls you wish could be frozen in time. The words aren't as important as the excitement they engender. Our oldest grandson, heading to middle school next year, had just received a President's Award at his graduation ceremony. He's not yet old enough to be cool, so you could hear the excitement in his voice as he talked. I swear I could hear him smile and it didn't take much imagination to picture the crooked grin on his face as we were speaking. Next came his brother who dutifully reported his "boring" grades. I was thrilled, not by the grades, but by the measured and balanced way in which these two special guys have achieved their personal best. It was a blue ribbon day for the boys and their parents. Kudos and kisses for all. You get to stay in the will.

The developer of this buttermilk cluster also deserves a blue ribbon. Excellence should be recognized in all pursuits and this recipe is a winner. It's a great place to start our buttermilk bonanza - the bonanza being a series of recipes that will expose you to more buttermilk than you ever dreamed existed. If you are looking for a soft and delicious roll for large gatherings, this recipe has your name on it. The rolls are easy to make and when served warm from the oven they'll enhance your reputation as a cook and hostess. The recipe is one of the many standouts from the book Country Breads of the World. The only alteration I've made was to increase amount of buttermilk and honey called for in the original recipe. I also used blue poppy seeds as the topping for my rolls. Yes, these seeds do come from the opium poppy, but - and it is a big but - the seeds that are bought and sold come from mature capsules that no longer contain narcotic substance. Only unripe seed capsules contain the milky substance from which opium is extracted. Having said that, do not eat foods that contain or are sprinkled with poppy seeds before taking a drug test. False positive results have been reported and there's no reason to beg trouble that can be avoided. The blue poppy seeds used in baking are minuscule kidney shaped gems that impart a sweet nutty flavor to breads, cakes and pastries. They are very popular in European cooking and, while their primary use is for baking, the seeds can also be crushed to extract their flavorful oil. If poppy seeds put you off, use sesame seeds or serve the cluster without a topping. Here's the recipe for truly outstanding dinner rolls; they're just waiting for you to pull them apart.
Buttermilk Cluster with Blue Poppy Seeds...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Directions:
1) Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Combine warm water and yeast in a small cup and allow to proof for 10 minutes.
2) Pour yeast, buttermilk, and honey into flour mixture and mix well. If dough is so dry that some of flour won’t stick, add a bit more buttermilk or water. If the dough is too sticky to knead, more like a batter, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until correct consistency is achieved.
3) Knead by machine or hand for approximately 10 minutes. Return dough to bowl, cover, and set aside to rise until dough has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.
4) Divide dough into 16 pieces. Shape each piece into a neat ball and place in a 12-inch round dish or a 12-inch spring-form pan close together. Cover again with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set aside to rise again for 45 minutes to an hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
5) Uncover rolls and brush gently with egg wash. Sprinkle with seeds or grains, if using. Bake for 30 minutes, or until are firm and spring back when tapped. Transfer to a rack and cool for 15 minutes. Remove from pan. Serve warm if possible. Yield: 16 rolls.

Mary, I was smiling BIG at the stories of your beautiful grandsons. Gosh, they are just delightful. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Your rolls are stupendous! Oh my stars they are gorgeous!!! I will be making these; even have buttermilk in the fridge as I write this. We can't do nuts or seeds in this house because of Ole Sweetie's sensitivities but maybe I can do a half and half.

First of all congratulations are in order for your grandsons!!!! High 5 and yes...kudos to the whole family. There was much pride in your post...and I can so understand the elation with it!!!!

Then, the rolls. My mouth waters...can you hear my loud gulp from where I am all the way to your house? Wow....just wow. You have to understand that when I make...or buy bakery rolls, the poppy seed rolls are the ones I always pick out for myself. I just love anything with poppy seeds on top. Does this mean I'm an addict. I can picture myself now, with the opium pipe...oh gracious me! Oh heck, at my age, poppies and opium sounds terriff=f=f=ic. Sorry, my speech is a bit slurred. It's the big "O" I tellya.

Mary, those rolls look wonderful. Congrats to the grandson. Middle school seems unbelievable. Our oldest is starting also in the fall. I don't know what is happening, but I am using the desktop right now because for some reason, I could not get into your last two posts from my laptop. Operation Aborted keeps coming up and knocking me off. Strange. Will have to figure that one out. At least I still have a source to reach you and read you.

What beautiful grandchildren. Hugs to them for their accomplishments. The buttermilk cluster looks and sounds (and smells) wonderful. But I just scrolled down and found your Sweet Onion Tart recipe. It's printed and ready to be tried in my kitchen. Can't wait. Thanks for sharing your your of cooking.

well, well! congratulations to the grandchildren! that is wonderful. the blue poppy seeds are most interesting, I did not know poppy seeds came in a blue variety. or are they all considered blue? I suddenly realize I am rather unschooled in poppy seeds!

Hi Happy Blue Monday.Oh wow what a special post.Congratulations to you all the way around.I love how you put together such a sweet,fuzzy warm feeling,yummy,and cool creative post together for Blue Monday .You certainly get a pat on the back for this one :)Thank you so much for the awesome recipe.Have a blessed week.Happy TrailsHugs

Wow. It looks amazing and yummy. Good recipe. I am surely gonna try it. Poppy seed is rich in B-complex. It is also very useful for health, for those who have sensitive skin, dandruff, hair-loss and many other benefits.

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